U.s. Farmers Plan To Polish Soybean`s Lackluster Reputation

April 20, 1991|By Amy Brooke Baker, States News Service.

WASHINGTON — In a world of trendy vegetables like arugula and endive, the humble soybean doesn`t get much respect.

Maybe that`s because protein-packed products like tofutti and soyburgers still haven`t captured the imagination of the American public. Or maybe it`s because soybeans are thought to be the ultimate in pig food.

Whatever the root of the beleaguered legume`s image troubles, soybean producers think they`ve finally found the solution to their problem.

This summer, under a provision in the 1990 farm bill and the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American soybean farmers plan to establish a national promotion and research program. They say the program will not only polish the soybean`s dull reputation and capture budding markets here and abroad, but could also help to alleviate malnutrition in the Third World.

The goals may be lofty, but the setup is simple.

The nation`s 440,000-odd soybean farmers-including about 75,000 from Illinois-will finance the program through an assessment based on the market value of their crops. The estimated $50 million to $60 million raised annually will fund a variety of consumer education, marketing and research ventures-to be governed by a board of 60 soybean farmers from around the country.

Soybean producers say that in an era of fierce foreign competition, a nationwide promotion program is critical-particularly for key producer states like Illinois, which raised 355 million bushels in 1990 and ranks first in U.S. production.

``Soybean demand has actually increased an average of 3 to 5 percent over the last decade worldwide,`` said Russell Roe, a soybean farmer from Leroy, Minn. ``But the U.S. share of the market has decreased. And we don`t have the funding to do the necessary jobs to promote soybeans.``

The American Soybean Association, a 34,000-member body based in St. Louis, already oversees a number of marketing and new-use research programs with money raised by state promotion programs.

But because not all states participate in such programs, some ``17 to 18 percent of soybean producers are not involved,`` according to ASA spokesman Dan Reuwee. ``And we`ve reached the limits of what we can do with the current funding.``

Meanwhile, according to the ASA, foreign competitors-primarily Brazil and Argentina-are sinking millions into research and promotion campaigns.

Reuwee said most South American farmers invest 2 percent of their income on such programs and have seen their soybean production double in the past few years. And Brazilian research efforts, according to University of Minnesota agronomist Jim Orf, have produced a soybean with more protein than its American cousin.

Supporters say the national program will provide money to fight such competitors for existing markets and to launch aggressive promotion campaigns in potential markets like China and countries in the Pacific Rim-where human consumption of such soybean products as tofu is high but livestock consumption of soy protein supplements is virtually non-existent.

Program funds will also be used for research into new uses for soybeans-including environmentally safe soy inks and green vegetable types of soybeans to be eaten like peas or lima beans-and consumer education campaigns about the soybean`s primary virtue: Protein.

``That`s the biggest problem we have in the Western world,`` said Gil Harrison, the ASA`s regional marketing manager for Latin America. ``People are not used to soy products.``

Though health-conscious American consumers experienced a mini-craze of soy-based dishes like tofu a few years ago, the trend never really caught on, soybean producers say. Human consumption still accounts for only about 2 percent of soybean use worldwide, according to Harrison. The remaining 98 percent is used for animal feed.

But education campaigns-such as the ASA`s current efforts to interest Third World governments in using soybeans to enrich staple foods-could create new markets and provide much-needed protein to people in developing nations, Harrison said.

``In Mexico, for example, we could really improve the diet by adding about 5 percent soybeans to tortillas-the No. 1 food there,`` he added.

Not all soybean farmers favor the promotion program, however.

Some say they find the assessment-set at 0.5 percent of the market value of their crop-too costly.